Medieval Craftsmen

Being a medieval Craftsmen afforded you a certain standard of living in a Medieval society but it was difficult to attain a very high standard of living as a medieval Craftsmen. Craftsmen were classed above peasants and Serfs in the feudal system and they had a much better level of education than Peasants and Serfs who worked on the land and were very poor. Trades were often kept within families and skills passed down from father to son, Some Craftsmen would make things that were needed in battle such as a Bowyer who made Archers Bows and an Artillator who made arrows and other archery related items. Every medieval town had a blacksmith who made weaponry and a wide range of goods that were used in medieval towns and villages. A families surname would often tell people in medieval times the trade of that person, as names were often derived from the medieval persons trade, for example you can probably guess what kind of work a medieval Craftsmen with the name Miller, Hunter or Tanner did in medieval times.

A medieval Bowyer as the name suggest made bows such as longbows and arrows as well as other products for people and the military. Medieval Bowyers usually worked in a shop in a medieval town or village. Read more about the Medieval Bowyer >>

Medieval Guilds were set up in medieval times to improve quality of workmanship and regulate medieval professions. Medieval Guilds also served to protect members and give them a voice in medieval society. Read more about the Medieval Guilds >>

A Medieval miller could be quite well off as he could make and sell bread to the people that lived in the medieval village. The miller however usually had to make some form of payment to the lord of the manor who usually owned the village mill. Read more about the Medieval Miller >>

A medieval moneyer was a skilled medieval craftsman, he made (minted) the coins that were needed. A medieval moneyer worked from his shop in medieval towns and villages where he kept all his tools. Read more about the Medieval Moneyer >>

Medieval Craftsmen Guilds

Medieval Craftsmen started in a trade usually at an early age as an apprentice. Medieval apprentices in the trade usually did the same trade as their fathers and learn from them, in addition a medieval person wanting to be a Craftsmen would usually join a specific association or Guild as it was called in medieval times.

Basically as an apprentice you were expected to learn your medieval trade from a time served Craftsmen, the apprenticeship would be hands on as you worked along side the time served medieval Craftsmen. An apprenticeship could last up to seven years and during this time the apprentice worked very hard for no pay.

It wasn’t until the apprentice had finished his training that he could earn a decent daily wage and he was also expected to pay a considerable sum of money at the outset of his learning, eventually though he would become qualified in his chosen trade.

From Apprentice to Journeyman

Finally after all the years of hard work and training an apprentice would become a journeyman and at this stage he would be paid a daily wage, the journeyman would eventually become a master provided that he continued to learn and paid more fee’s to his master.

What different types of medieval Craftsmen were there?

What types of things did medieval Craftsmen make?

What was the Guild that medieval Craftsmen had to be members of?

Medieval Craftsmen – Types and Names

Master Craftsman

Artisan and a highly skilled craftsman in medieval times.

Artillator

Very important Craftsmen who made bows, arrows and other related products that medieval military men required

Bowyer

Highly skill craftsmen who made Bows for medieval archers and others.

Moneyer

Authorised to make coins from different metals such as copper, gold and silver that could be used to buy goods and services. Moneyers would have been licensed by the Crown and would have been allowed to keep a very small percentage of the money he created in payment for his work.

Fletcher

A skilled and important person for the military as he was a Medieval Arrow maker.

Barber

A medieval Barber could cut your hair and chop of your leg, in medieval times Barbers not only cut hair but were also Surgeons.

Blacksmith

If your horse needed a new pair of shoes, you would go to a Blacksmith, Blacksmiths were very common Craftsmen in Medieval towns and villages.

Spinster

A spinnestere”, or spinster was a woman who spins yarn, this was one of the few jobs in medieval times that a woman could do and live independently from a man, it led to the word “Spinster”.

Miners

Were military men who were experts at mining tunnels under a castle walls, to collapse the stone walls ready for an attack.

There were a huge number of medieval craftsmen and a multitude of trades in medieval times people such as Weavers, Woodworkers, Fullers and Coopers were all popular trades. without Craftsmen and other trades medieval life would have been a struggle for many medieval people.